Vascular flora of Kenya, based on the Flora of Tropical East Africa

By

Zhou, Yadong
Liu, Bing (Botanist)
Yuvenlis, Mbuni
Yan, Xue
Mwachala, Geoffrey
Hu, Guangwan
Wang, Qingfeng.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2017

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

90

Pages

113-126

Subjects

diversity , East Africa , FTEA , Kenya , molecular systematics , vascular plants

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.90.20531

 

Abstract

Kenya, an African country with major higher plant diversity, has a corresponding diversity of plant associations, because of the wide geographic distribution, diverse climatic conditions and soil types. In this article, all vascular plants of Kenya were counted based on the completed 'Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA)', and all families and genera were revised using recent molecular systematics research, forming a 'Synoptic List of Families and Genera of Kenyan Vascular Plants (SLFGKVP)'. In total, there are 225 families, 1538 genera and 6293 indigenous species and and 62 families, 302 genera and 588 exotic species in Kenya. The Fabaceae with 98 genera and 576 Species is the largest family. Two of the seven plant distribution regions of Kenya, K4 and K7 are the most species-richest areas with regard to both total and endemic species, with 3375 and 3191 total species and 174 and 185 endemic species in K4 and K7 respectively. While, K3 and K5 have the highest density of both total and endemic species. K1 has the lowest density of total species, and K2 has the lowest density of endemic species.